There is only one game before the offseason. The University of Michigan will play Washington in the College Football Playoff national championship game next Monday.
This is an important postseason for the Wolverines, who will defeat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, finally overcome the playoff hurdles and have a chance to win the program’s first unshared national title since 1948. .
In the second semifinal game, Washington defeated Texas thanks to a memorable night from senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the offensive MVP of the game.
Although the Crimson Tide fell short, it was a pretty positive bowl season for the SEC. Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri had wins against the Power Five, and the Bulldogs bounced back from their first loss in two years with a 60-point victory over Florida State.
The national title alone makes these teams the biggest winners and losers of bowl season.
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winner
michigan
After losing two straight games to Georgia and TCU in the playoffs, Michigan took a big step forward as a program with a 27-20 overtime victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Overtime, the second in the history of playoff semifinals, ended in an inexplicable decision. Alabama put quarterback Jalen Milroe through the teeth of the Michigan defense with his fourth goal. This stop tells the story of the Wolverines’ entire year, which was simply a more physical and aggressive opponent in marquee wins over Penn State, Ohio State and the Tide.
Washington
The victory over the Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl answered a long-standing question about whether Washington is capable of matching the physical standards set by the other three teams in this year’s playoffs. And the Huskies can add to the play of their elite quarterback. Penix was outstanding against Texas, as was his deep and experienced receiver corps. Despite being a slight underdog heading into their matchup with the Wolverines, it’s clear that the Huskies have the ability to win one more game before the end of the league and give the Pac-12 a national championship.
tennessee
In Iowa’s 35-0 romp in the Citrus Bowl, the Volunteers showed early glimpses of promise under young quarterback Nico Iamareaba. Making his first career start, the former five-star recruit completed 12 of 19 attempts for 151 yards and one touchdown, and added three scores on the ground. Overall, Tennessee’s 383 yards of offense were the second-most allowed by Iowa all season, behind only the 397 yards allowed by Penn State in late September.
mississippi
After a 38-25 win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl, the Ole Miss hype train is ready to leave the station. Having been somewhat dismissed throughout the year after falling too far in key games against Alabama and Georgia, this win validated the Rebels’ progress under Lane Kiffin and added them to the nation’s top transfer class. Combined with his arrival, it would build great momentum for Ole Miss to add to the team. Top team in the SEC entering the 2024 season. With quarterback Jackson Dart set to return, you can see why this bandwagon is packed.
missouri
After being held back by Ohio State’s defense until the final drive of the third quarter, Missouri put together two scoring drives of 90 yards or more in the final 20 minutes to defeat the Buckeyes 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl. Wide receiver Luther Baden held most of the game until a late touchdown, and the Tigers’ offense remained heavily reliant on All-American running back Cody Shrader, who had 29 carries for 128 yards and one score. did. Missouri went 11-2 in this breakout season under coach Eli Drinkwitz and should finish in the top seven in the final USA LBM Coaches poll.
Kansas
Is Kansas having a 9-win season? The program continues to grow by leaps and bounds under coach Lance Leipold. Lance Leipold took over the worst program in the Power Five by a wide margin, but he turned the Jayhawks into one of the top teams in the emerging Big 12. As expected, Kansas brought the offense home. In the Guaranteed Rate Bowl shootout against UNLV, the Reds gained 449 passing yards and six touchdowns from Jason Bean, gaining 591 yards overall on offense and winning 49-36.
northwest
What a year it has been for Northwestern University. The team had its lowest record in program history due to the summer’s hasting scandal, but was able to win eight games under new coach David Brown. That included a 14-7 win in the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, which was a blow to the offensive playmakers and resulted in just 211 yards and three turnovers.
loser
Alabama
Leading 17-13 with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Alabama wasted a chance to pull away from the Wolverines and had to make a 52-yard field goal. That tied Michigan with 1:34 left in regulation and opened the door for them to win in one extra frame thanks to a 17-yard score by Blake Collum and a defensive stop. Both teams made mistakes, but the Tide just fell short with a rare semifinal loss for Nick Saban. At the end of the day, Alabama deserves credit for getting this far after a slow start in September, but it wasn’t in a position to win a national title.
texas
Washington held the ball for over 36 minutes, preventing the Texas offense from getting into a rhythm. Still, given their consistent success on the ground, you have to wonder why the Longhorns didn’t tackle their running game more firmly. At the end of the day, turnovers were the difference between going home and advancing to the title game. Texas didn’t do a good job of protecting the football, but they paid the price. This is a program that is growing in popularity under his Steve Sarkisian, but you never know when an opportunity like this will present itself.
Ohio
Playing without former starting quarterback Kyle McCord and star wide receiver Marvin Harrison, as well as McCord’s replacement, Devin Brown, suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter, Ohio State lost 14 to Missouri. They had just 203 yards of offense in the -3 loss. With McCord now at Syracuse and Harrison leaving for the NFL, there are some big questions about the state of this offense heading into next season. The loss was coach Ryan Day’s fourth in six postseason games.
florida
This wasn’t fair from the beginning. FSU played without a near full deck of players after losing dozens to opt-outs and the transfer portal, quickly turning this into the ugliest result of the bowl season. Georgia State’s 63-3 victory over the Seminoles in the Orange Bowl reinforced the Bulldogs’ status as perhaps the team to beat heading into 2024. How you view this loss from FSU’s perspective may depend on how you view the four-team playoff structure. If you thought, “The Noles don’t deserve to be there,” here’s a decent 60-point loss as proof. But if you believe FSU should have finished in the top four as the third undefeated team in the FBS, look at the depleted roster and think this bowl matchup is an incomplete representation of the Seminoles’ season. That’s easy to say.
auburn
After a 31-13 loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said he was “not really involved” in the Tigers’ offensive game plan “due to recruiting.” he admitted. This may be true – I mean, it must be, because it would be foolish to say otherwise – but admitting it publicly makes you wonder: On a salary of $6.5 million a year, Freeze doesn’t have much to offer as a coach. Can’t you recruit at the same time? Other coaches seem to be doing that too, but who knows?
Miami (Florida)
It’s been a year for Miami. On the one hand, the Hurricanes defeated Texas A&M and Clemson on their way to bowl eligibility after finishing Mario Cristobal’s debut season with a loss. Meanwhile, they lost to Rutgers 31-24 in the Pinstripe Bowl. This ended a late-season slump in which Miami lost four in five games, and in early November it looked like it was ready to build some serious momentum heading into 2024, but instead it has hit a record low. He entered the offseason limping along.
SMU
Future ACC member SMU previewed life in the current Power Five league with a highly humiliating 23-14 loss to Boston College at the Fenway Bowl, but finished 10th in the conference standings. Ta. There are better teams in the ACC than the Eagles. Show your respect. The Mustangs are also forgoing nine years of payments from their ACC TV subscription agreement, which they believe the league appreciates.
north carolina
Once up to 6-0, North Carolina State stopped its second-half collapse with a 30-10 loss to West Virginia in the Duke Mayo Bowl. The only good thing about losing was that Mack Brown didn’t get soaked in mayonnaise. Otherwise, this was a huge disappointment for the Tar Heels. The Tar Heels allowed a touchdown on the first play of the game, unable to get the offense going behind young quarterback Connor Harrell, Drake Maye’s successor in the NFL.
eastern michigan
As if losing 69-10 to South Alabama in the 68th Ventures Bowl wasn’t enough, Eastern Michigan engaged in an on-field brawl while the Jaguars gathered to sing the school’s fight song. caused the defeat to be interrupted. It’s such a black eye that even 59 points of destruction seems dwarfed, if that were even possible.